Steinway model Z weak bass

Gregor _ karlkaputt at hotmail.com
Sun Mar 9 06:09:24 MST 2008


I don´t think that there is anything wrong with the bass bridge. I have some customers with a Steinway Z and I am always nerved when I have to tune these beasts. The bass is nearly not tunable due to great inharmonicity. I am not shure if soft or weak are the propper terms to describe the bass sound, but the bass sounds awful anyway on every Z I know. This model Z was nothing that Steinway can be proud of. Rather embarrasing for Steinway to put their name on these pianos. The usual price for a Z is here between 9.000 and 12.500 US Dollar.
 
Concerning the hinge pin: I always remove these pianos from the wall and apply some grease to it. So it´s easier to pull it out the next time.
 
Gregor
> From: David at piano.plus.com> To: pianotech at ptg.org> Subject: Steinway model Z weak bass> Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 12:30:23 +0000> > Last week I had a call from a local retired music teacher, who I had as > class music teacher when I started high school back in 1971. He is active in > musical circles locally, but has never been my client simply due to having > stayed with the father-and-son team (now son only) that he used for years.> > He wasn't too happy wiuth the tuning that was done a couple of months ago, > and wanted me to come instead, which I did. His piano is a Steinway Model Z > from 1971 and oddly, it's the first Steinway Z I have tuned since I started > in 1984. I have to say I wasn't phenomenally impressed. It's nice enough > and all that, but not superlative in any way. The top lid is hinged from > the left hand end, a thing I've seen before - I guess it was meant to impart > the impression of opening a grand lid. But in what I feel is a design flaw, > the hinge pin must be removed to take off the lid for tuning, and it has to > be withdrawn from the back, which means pulling the piano out from the wall.> > Anyway, what I'd like opinions on is this: The bass sounds soft and weak, > almost (but not as bad) as if the bass bridge was detached. Time simply ran > out for investigating this, as I had done some key easing and he had to go > out. When I commented on the bass, he agreed and said it had always sounded > like that. I would like to go back and have a proper look at the bridge etc > at some point. But does anyone know if there is any particular feature or > problem with the Z?> > I see a dealer is selling one of the same age for around $20,000 which seems > to me far too much. You could buy a beautiful new Feurich form not much > more. But I guess they will get their price because of the name.> > Best regards,> > David.> > > 
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